Ballston Town supervisor running for Marchione's former county clerk spot

BALLSTON -- Ballston Town Supervisor Patti Southworth confirmed Friday that she will run for the now-vacant Saratoga County Clerk position in the November election.

The position was vacated when Kathy Marchione, a Republican who held the clerk position for 14 years, was elected to the state Senate last year. She left the $99,500 post at the end of 2012.

As of Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had not appointed anyone to the position and a call to Cuomo's office for comment was not immediately returned.

Cuomo could appoint someone to the post, but that person would still have to run in the November election.

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Southworth is the only Independent Party supervisor on the county board. She stepped down as chair of the Saratoga County Independence Party so she could focus on the upcoming campaign. She said that decision was mutual between her and the party.

Lee Kolesnikoff, a member of the executive committee of the Independence Party for both Saratoga County and the state, declined to comment on whether the party supports Southworth's ambition for county clerk or why she is no longer the party's county chair.

The Independence Party has not endorsed anyone in the race -- Southworth is the only candidate to have officially announced plans to run in November -- but the party did submit Southworth's name for Cuomo to consider if he decided to appoint someone as clerk.

Southworth said she's not sure what party, if any, she would seek endorsements from.

"I will be evaluating that as I move forward," she said, admitting it was early to be announcing her candidacy or endorsements. "I haven't gotten that far in the process yet."

This means that Southworth will not be seeking reelection as Ballston Supervisor in November, a position she has been in for six years.

"I think I could be of help to taxpayers in that position and can find some ways to save money in that department," Southworth said. "I think I have a lot of private sector experience that would be helpful in that office."

Southworth was a practicing pharmacist for 23 years before stepping back from that role to take the part-time position as supervisor, which she said she treats like a full-time job.

If elected, Southworth said she would bring her customer-service experience from that career to the position. "You are dealing with the public every day and your role is to serve the public," she said.

She also pointed to her fiscal experience crafting budgets as supervisor, which she said she has "held the line on."

Southworth also said she is versed at working across both sides of the aisle, since "I am the true minority party" on the county board as the only third-party politician.

The county Republican Party put forward Halfmoon Councilman and business owner Craig Hayner as their choice to replace Marchione in the position.

The Saratoga County Democratic Party has submitted "a few names" to the governor's office for consideration, but they have declined to say who. Chairman Todd Kerner said their choice to run in November "depends on the outcome of filling the vacancy."